Pollinosis refers to an allergic symptom caused by a pollen that has entered the body, and the number of patients with the pollinosis continues to increase. The pollen that is a cause of the pollinosis is typified by a cedar pollen. Two kinds of proteins, i.e., Cryj1 (see Patent Document 1 and Nonpatent Literature 1) and Cryj2 (see Patent Document 2, and Nonpatent Literatures 2 and 3) have been known to be as allergens of the cedar pollen. It has been known that most patients with cedar pollinosis cause an allergic response to both Cryj1 and Cryj2, or to either Cryj1 or Cryj2.
A peptide immunotherapy in which a peptide composed of a T cell epitope in the allergen is administered to the patient is available as one of therapies for the pollinosis. The peptide immunotherapy has merits that no risky side effect such as anaphylaxis is caused and that the symptom is alleviated in a shorter period of time compared with a hyposensitization therapy in which the allergen itself is administered to the patient.
Patent Documents 3 and 4 describe that a peptide containing multiple different human T cell epitopes derived from the allergen of the cedar pollen can be used for the immunotherapy. Patent Document 4 describes that about 57% of the patients with cedar pollinosis can be treated successfully with the above peptide.